Air-compressor.



No. 738,920. PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903. G. DE LAVAL & G. P. ABORN.

AIR COMPRESSOR.

y APPLIUATION'IILED JULY 25. 1901.

No Monm.. a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

u IIN PATENT-ED SEPT. l5, 1903. G. DE LAVAL & G. P. ABORN.

AIR COMPRESSOR. APPLIoATIoN FILED JULY z5. 1901.

s sums-SHEET z.

N0 MODEL.

@awa/76W' PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903. G. DE LAVAL & G. P. ABORN.

AIR GOMPRESSOR. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 25. 1901.

3 SHEETSSHBET 3.

N0 MODEL.

No. '73s ,926.-

' UNITED STATES fliatented September 15, 1903;.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE DE LAvAL, OEOAMBRTDGE, AND GEORGE?. AEORN, OE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE GEO. E. BLAKE MEG. oo., OE NEW YORK, N.Y., A OORPORATION'OE?NEwY JERSEY.`

AIR-'ooiyiPREs'sgoR y.3IEGIFIGATION forming part f Letters Patent No. 738,920, dated September 15, 1903.

Application iiled July 25,1901.

To @Klick/0m it may concern:

Beit known that we, `GEORGE DE LAVAL, residin gin Cambridge, Middlesex county, and GEORGE P. ABORN,'residing in Boston, Suffolk county, Massachusetts, citizens of the United States, -have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates toair-compressors;

1o and it has for its object to lessen the amount of air compressed and furnished to the receiver should the pressure in the receiver reach above normal. `VThis is accomplished by retarding the closing o f the inlet-valve to I 5 lessen the effective stroke of the piston, thereby only compressing an amount of air sufficient for use.

We will describe an air-compressor embodying our invention and then point out the zo novel features thereof in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of-an air-compressor embodying our invention and'of an engine for operating the compressor. Fig. 2 is a detail sec- 2 5 tional view of a portion of the compressor.

Fig. 3 is a detail View of the valve-gear mechanism, the parts thereof being at the position they assume undernormal action when the piston of the compressoris at left-hand end of 3o cylinder. Fig. 4 isa detail view of the valvegear mechanism ,the parts thereof being in the position they assume under normal pressure When the piston of the compressor is at midstroke going toward the right. Fig. 5 is a del tail view of the valve-gear mechanism, the

parts thereof being in the position they assume under normal action when the piston of the compressor is at mid-stroke moving toward the left. (See Fig. 2.)v Fig. 6 is a detail 4o view of the valve-gear mechanism, the parts thereof being in the position they assume'under excessive pressure, the piston being at the left-hand' end of stroke. Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of the air-compressor and showing- 4; a means for operating the valve-gear mechanism, said means being put into operation by excessive pressure in the receiver. Figs. 2 to 7, inclusive, are drawn to a larger scale than Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a detail view ofa part of a 5o iiuid regulator comprisedas my invention.

the engine B.

ceiver.

Serial No. 69,639. (No model.)

corresponding parts in all the iigures.

A- represents the vcylinder of'V the air-com- 55 pressor; B, anv engine, hereshown as consist- ,I ing of a Corliss steam-cylinder, for operating the piston; A', the air-compressor, and b an ecentric on the driving-shaft b', operated by B represents a governor for Operating the trips of the engine.

`At each end of the compressor we provide a valve a, which is operated to permit air from the atmosphere to enter the cylinder and to permit compressed air from within the cylinder to pass to the compressed-air receiver. ct' represents the passage for air to within the cylinder, and a2 the passage for compressed air out of the cylinder to the re- 7o Puppet-valves a3 are provided in this passage at each end of the cylinder, which Valves prevent compressed air from the receiver returning to the cylinder A. Each valve ot is provided with an operating-valvestema, and each stem is provided with the the following mechanism, which when operated causes the valve to shift or change its position.

The mechanism provided for each valve- 8o stem preferably comprises anzarm a4, which is iixed to the valve-stem, an arm a5, which is loose on the Valve-stem, a worm-segment a6,'carrying a cam-segment o7, also loose on the valve -stem', a bellcrank lever a8, ful- 85 crumed on the'arm a5, and a link a9, which connects one end of the bell-crank lever with the arm 0.4.' The other end of the bell-crank lever is provided with a roller G10 or other similar device,which rides on the periphery 9o ofthe cam-segment o7, it being held thereagainst by a spring au. The arm a5 is rocked by means of a rod or link @12, connecting it with a wrist-plate C, which is rocked or oscillated from the eccentric b. 5

vReferring now more particularly to Fig. 3, thev parts of the valve-gear are here shown in the position which they assume when the compressor is being operated and the pressure is not above normal. In this figure it will be roe seen that the pivots or points ot' connection l 2 3 of the parts a1, its, and a are in alinement. Consequentlywhen the arm asis rocked the arm a4 will be rocked an equivalent distance. The parts a, (t8, and a9 constitute a toggle, and to have the toggle fully eiective the pivots l 2 3 have to be in alinement. This aliuement is maintained by means of the roller d10, traveling on the peripheral edge Q13 of the cam-segment a1. This edge is necessarily concentric with the valve-stem at?. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show the parts in position for normal pressure, and in these positions the valve is closed first to the atmosphere, next open to the atmosphere, and then opened to the receiver. Should pressure in the receiver reach above normal, the excess pressure will act to retard the time of closing of the valve, and thus force all air drawn in the cylinder out again to the atmosphere. This is accomplished in the present instance by moving the cam-segment so that during one v portion of the movement the roller a1() is not in engagement with the concentric portion thereof, and consequently the toggle formed by the arm a4, link a9, and bell-crank levera8 will be broken and (see Fig. 6) the movement of the arm a* consequently shortened.

The shifting of the cam-segment is preferably operated through a medium of water and air pressure, and this may be accomplished by the following arrangement of parts, (see Fig. 7:)

E represents a cylinder provided with a diaphragm and a part connected therewith which when air is admitted under the diaphragm causes the outer end of a fulcrumed lever e to be raised or lifted.

e represents the air-inlet to the cylinder, which inlet is in communication with the compressed-air receiver. (Not shown.) The lever e, which is provided with adjustable weights, actuates a rod e?, which rod moves avalve @17 in the cylinder @1 throughits stem @18. The cylinder e3 receives water under pressure through a conduit c4 and discharges it through a conduit e5 to a cylinder e6, having a piston e7. When the valve in the cylinder e3 is moved upward, Water enters the cylinder e and moves the piston e7 upward. The piston e7 is provided with a pulley @8, over which a chain @9 passes. One end of the chain is secured to a stationary support-as, for example, the cylinder eG-and its other end is provided with a weight @10. Intermediate its ends it passes over and operates a sprocket e11, which is fast on a shaft e1?. The shaft @12 is provided with a pair of worm-screws 813, one for each worm-segment, so that when the shaft is rotated the cam-segments al will be moved. At the time that the piston e7 is moved upward a lever @15 is moved on its fulcrum `With it, the connection between the two being a cord e1, and this lever through a cam @30, carried thereby, moves the pipe e5 and cylinder e3 relatively to the valve 617 therein, which is then held stationary by the lever e,

thereby closing the water-inlet and suspending the piston e7 in a definite position. By having water instead of compressed air actuate the piston e7 and locking the water under the piston by the action of said piston in rising, when it raises the lever @15 and by the cam carried upon the end thereof jacks up the cylinder c3 su iiiciently to move it and the valve-seats therein relatively to the valve @17, which is at the time held stationary by the lever e, so as to close the passage-ways within the cylinder @3, the position of the valves a through the intervening parts are held in their adjusted positions. When excessive pressure in the receiver falls, the levere drops and carries with it the rod e2, which draws down the valve within the cylinder c3 and opens ports to permit Water under the piston @7 to drain oft through the pipe @16. As the water escapes the piston e7 drops and returns the cam-segments back tothe position shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 to permit the compressor to act normally. This action also permits the lever 615 and cylinder @3 to resume their lowest normal positions with the water-inlet @4 closed.

The valve @1T in Fig. 9 is shown in the position indicated in Fig. 7, in which the cylinder e3 has been raised by the action of the cam on the lever @15, so as to close the passage-ways within the cylinder. These conditions continue until the lever e drops, carrying with it the valve-stem @18 and valve e and opening the waste through the valve-seat e1 and cut-away portion @20 of the valve. e21indicates a full-sized portion of the valve e",

which alternately closes the passage-ways through the valve-seats e1 622, and when the cylinder is raised by the cam it closes both of them. Then the lever drops, the valve e" is moved down to its lowest position, when the part @21 is fully housed within the valveseat @22, the reduced portion @20 being then within the opening of the valve-seat e1, thereby permitting the water to escape from the pipe e5 through the outlet @23. The valve e1? is provided with a second reduced portion e211, which when in its highest position when it has been raised by the lever e permits the water to fiow through theinlet, up through the valve-seat e, and to the cylinder @6 through pipe @5.

What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l.4 In an air-compressor having a cylinder, a piston, inlet-valves, the combination of a mechanism comprising a toggle for operating said valves, and a device open to the excess pressure in the receiver or reservoir for breaking the said toggle whereby the closing of IOO IIO

IZO

said valves is retarded and a lesser amount of air than usual compressed.

2. In an air-compressor having a cylinder, a piston and inlet-valves, the combination of a mechanism comprising a toggle for operating said valves, and a device open to the excess pressure in the reservoir or receiver for breaking said toggle whereby the closing of said valves is retarded and lesser amount of air than usual compressed, said device comprising a diaphragm which is affected by said excess pressure, and a piston operated by water-pressure, the valve for which is controlled by said diaphragm and the said valve.

3. In an air-compressor having a cylinder, a piston and inlet-Valves, the combination of mechanism comprising a collapsible part for operating said valves, which mechanism under normal pressure throws the valves to completely open and close the passages which they control, and a mechanism open to excess pressure from said cylinder for affecting said collapsible part wherebyV the eective throw of the said mechanism is lessened and the closing of said valves is retarded.

4. In an air-compressor having a cylinder, a piston and inlet-valves, the combination of a mechanism comprising a toggle for throwing said valves to open and close the passages they are located in, and a device for breaking ysaid toggle whereby the effective throw of the said mechanism is lessened.

5. In an air-compressor having a cylinder, piston and inlet-valves, the combination of a mechanism for throwing each of said valves,

Aeach mechanism comprising a movable camsegment, an armvxed to the valve, a bellcrank lever carried byaswinging support and adapted to have an arm travel over the camsurface of the segment, and a link connection between the other arm of the bell-crank lever and the arm fixed to the valve, and

6. In an air-compressor having a cylinder,

piston and inlet-valves, the combination of a mechanism for throwing each of said valves, each mechanism comprising a movable camsegment, an arm fixed to the valve, a bellcranklever carried bya swinging support and adapted to have an arm travel the cam-surface of the segment, and a link connection between. the other arm of the bell-crank lever and the arm fixed to the valve, a shaft geared Y GEORGE DE LAVAL. GEORGE P. ABORN.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. FINLEY, HERBERT S.V HAMBLETT. 

